A Crown of Fates Deluxe Edition

Fated mates are a lie.

I’ve been summoned by a king. One too lazy to get off his throne and go look for his mate. Instead, he’s requesting that all unmated females from each of the four kingdoms come to him. You know, because that’s so much easier.

Much to my dismay, I’m forced to go to Selaris and what I hope will be a quick trip, turns into something else entirely.

King Theo is supposedly my mate. Just my freaking luck.

Yet, there’s something off with our bond. No, with him. I don’t know what it is and I’m not certain what to do, but I’m sure the hell going to find out. Because there’s one thing that I know for sure…

I won’t be used as anyone’s pawn. Not even for a mate.

This is not happening. It doesn’t matter that I’m not even sure what this is. I’m not doing it. I’m not getting mixed up in whatever mess Theo’s found himself in. It doesn’t matter that the moment he grabbed my hand, peering into my eyes as if they might be a window to my soul, my wolf surged forward, her interest in him almost too much to keep at bay.
None of that matters because I’m getting the hell out of here.
I spin around and clutch the door handle. “I’m taking the women from my kingdom, and we’re leaving. Right now.”
The metal knob feels icy under my palm, grounding me for the briefest moment as Theo reaches for me again, this time wrapping his hand gently around my bicep. “Estee, please. Just give me time.”
I whip my head around, a snarl already on my lips. “Remove your hand before I remove that arm from your body.”
My wolf howls within me, a low, mournful sound. She doesn’t like the hostility, but what does she expect? How can I trust this man? Whatever fleeting and almost hollow…gods, I can’t even call it a connection. Whatever that was, it wasn’t real. It can’t be. Especially because now all I feel is anger.
She whimpers, clawing at my mind—pleading, but not forcefully. She wants to see him for herself, in her true form, but I can’t let that happen. I can’t allow myself to be vulnerable when there’s so much uncertainty.
Theo lets go of me and holds his hands up innocently. “I won’t force you to stay, but I will beg you to reconsider. I know this isn’t how it’s supposed to be, and you have no idea how sorry I am about that. I wanted more for my mate, for you. I didn’t…” He grips the back of his neck, his eyes pleading with me to believe him as he lowers himself to the ground. “Just know that this is real. I’m not lying and, if you’ll let me, I’ll do whatever it takes to prove the truth to you. Give me one week.” He drops to his knees, desperation etched across his face. “Please, Estee. Don’t leave me yet.”
Gods. He’s literally groveling at my feet, staring up at me with those dark, tortured eyes. His hand twitches, like he wants to reach for me again, but he stops himself.
“I’ll do whatever you ask,” he pleads, his voice trembling. “Please, just give me more time to sort this out.”
“What is ‘this,’ Theo?” I demand, looking down at him, trying to ignore the pulse of sympathy that grows within me.
Damn it. Bringing a king to his knees isn’t as fun as I imagined it would be.
Still, I can’t falter. Not when I know something is wrong.
He drops his gaze, shoulders slumping. “I know this will sound like a lie, but I swear on my life, two things are true.” Slowly, he looks back up, his eyes locking onto mine with a fervor that makes my skin tremble. “One: you are my mate, Estee Blackwood. Two: I don’t know exactly what’s blocking you from openly feeling what I do, from knowing what I know without a shadow of a doubt, but I will figure this out, and when I do, I’ll explain everything to you. I promise.”
His words pierce my chest, each one like an arrow. His desperation is tangible—so much so that I can almost taste it, heavy and bitter on my tongue. Yet, I still don’t know what I’m going to do until the words leave my mouth.
“I’ll give you twenty-four hours,” I say curtly. “Tomorrow, you’d better have something more to tell me, or I will leave, and you’ll never see me again. That’s a promise.”
He nods, swallowing hard. “I understand.”
I slip out the door, closing it behind me. Leaning against the wooden surface, I press my palm to my chest, trying to steady my breathing, but the emotions inside me are too wild to contain. That wasn’t a strong enough connection to be a mate bond, but even I can’t deny that there’s something there when he touched me. A curiosity that might be better left alone.
“I’m so sorry,” Theo’s words are a hushed whisper that barely make their way through the door. “More than I can possibly explain.”
I don’t know if he meant for me to hear him, but the anguish in his voice wraps around my heart, squeezing until I almost want to cry. Gods, why is this happening? Why can I sense these emotions so deeply, yet not feel the bond? How can he claim I’m his mate when my own heart is this conflicted?
It isn’t supposed to be this way.